


Good Tidings We Bring (Also Ham)

by jessikast



Category: Hustle
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 13:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessikast/pseuds/jessikast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-series. Mickey has his desert island and the perfect quiet life.</p>
<p>He didn't count on his team disrupting it - but he should have. Christmas, team-being-adorable fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Tidings We Bring (Also Ham)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaosmanor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmanor/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, chaosmanor! Hope you enjoy this wee story and have a fantastic yuletide :-)

The desert island wasn’t so much “desert” as “small, exclusive resort”, but it was purchased with ill-gotten gains and that’s what mattered to Mickey Bricks. It was December, but the weather was balmy, the sea refreshingly cool, the staff unobtrusive and prompt with ridiculous tropical confections of cocktails.

Which was why Mickey’s state of perfect relaxation on a deck chair was jarred when a white-sleeved arm proffered a beer over his shoulder and shook it lightly until Mickey sat up and turned around to take it.

“Sean!” he said, not without pleasure, but mostly in shock: the team had parted ways months ago, purchasing airline tickets to different destinations with the tacit understanding that they wouldn’t cross paths for quite some time. Mickey had missed them, the companionship and the satisfying feeling of working together when things clicked and a con went down exactly the way that he had planned.

On the other hand, he was also thoroughly enjoying his – well, not retirement, let’s say sabbatical, in a resort which he partially owned (and was slowly conning his way into the rest), spending his days reading on the beach and nights enjoying the local food and quiet touristy nightlife.

Sean grinned and helped himself to the neighbouring deck chair. “All right, Mickey?” he asked, and started making himself comfortable.

“How on earth did you find me? I thought you and Emma were trying your luck in Europe?”

Sean shrugged and pulled out a pair of sunglasses (ridiculously expensive brand; Mickey had seen them in the pocket of the smarmy businessman who left the resort that morning). “Albert told Ash and Ash tracked me down. Thought I might pop by, seems like a nice place here.”

Mickey felt himself in the uncomfortable and entirely unfamiliar position of being a step behind. “So, Ash knows where I am too. And how did Albert find me? Did he tell-“

“Of course I did!” Albert walked up from the beach, the picture of the aging American tourist with linen pants, straw hat and an awfully bright cotton shirt.

“-everyone else.” Mickey finished, resigned. He gestured to one of the attentive staff to bring another seat out and stood to greet Albert. “What did you think you were doing?”

Albert beamed at him. “Oh, don’t fuss. I just got a wee bit bored sitting in club rooms and hotel bars listening to interminable stories from those greasy businessmen without being able to do anything properly about them.”

“Working on your own never stopped you before,” said Mickey mildly, remembering the swathe of financial ruin Albert could manage on a bad day, let alone when he was on top form.

Albert waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s just not the same anymore. So, once I heard where you were-“

“How _did_ you-?”

Albert tapped the side of his nose and winked. “Still have some tricks, don’t I? Anyway, I thought a wee holiday get-together would be nice so I asked Ash-“

Sean muttered to Mickey, “Ash doesn’t know how Albert found him either, confused him like anything to hear him tell it.”

“-and Ash was kind enough to pass the message on. And here we are!”

“Here we are indeed. I take it we can expect more company presently?”

Sean waved at Ash, who was making his way over to their chairs. “Hullo, Merry Christmas and all that. Up to any mischief yet?”

Mickey turned to ask for another seat, and gave up when he saw Danny was following Ash, trying to drag two chairs at one behind him. He could hear the other men saying their hellos, ordering drinks and plates of the magnificent local seafood and making themselves at home. Mickey could just about see his peace and quiet packing its bags and leaving.

Somehow, he wasn’t as sorry as he thought he ought to be.

“Sean, is Emma coming with you?”

Sean was about to reply when Ash answered with a grin. “You didn’t hear, then? You really are out of the loop down here! Sean’s been trying to cope on his own for the last couple of months-“

“Oy! I think you mean, Sean has been doing absolutely splendidly as a solo operator-“

“What he means,” interrupted Albert in turn, “is that Sean has been doing fine for the most part, and only needed bailing out a little bit-“

“Only a little, tiny bit,” said Sean.

“because,” resumed Ash, glaring at them, “Emma and Stacie teamed up, went to America-“

“Kicked me out of the whole country,” Danny muttered into his drink.

“-and have been making their way across country. Been fantastic to watch, if you know the financial reports to keep an eye on. Stock market here, dodgy country club there, real estate and art fraud in the same con once…”

“And are our very own femme fatales expected here too?” asked Mickey again. He had to admit that the idea of Stacie and Emma teaming up was both terrifying and, er, deeply intriguing.

“Oh, I expect so,” said Albert. “They love the idea of your little resort, I just asked them to stop by England on the way in to pick up something.”

“Oh, good!” said Ash. “You’ve got him after all! I was afraid we were going to have to rely on Mickey to cook.”

Mickey was not pleased with the fact that everyone else seemed to find this rather funny. He didn’t see the joke. “Who’s ‘he’?” he asked.

“Why, Eddie of course!” said Albert.

Mickey was now sure he was two steps behind.

“You’ve asked Stacie and Emma to stop in England to pick up Eddie of all people, and bring him to my secret hideaway exclusive resort? I just want to make sure I’m clear,” he said.

“Well, it’s not a very good secret hideaway, is it?” asked Danny. “I mean, look at us all here!”

“Yes, exactly,” said Mickey. “And I am still failing to understand why-“ He had the sudden discombobulating sensation of being ambushed in stereo. “Mickey, darling!” in both ears simultaneously, two women leaned over his shoulders, and he received a resounding kiss smacking on each cheek in tandem.

It actually took him a second to gain his bearings and stand up to join in the greetings – Stacie making the rounds with hugs and smiles, Emma slipping her arm into Sean’s and showing no sign of letting go, and Eddie hanging back smiling happily and slightly inanely at everyone.

Albert sidled up to Mickey. “He’s here to cook the Christmas dinner, of course. Been practicing his mother’s ham recipe and seems rather confident.”

Mickey felt that he had to point out that they were in a five star resort with equally competent chefs.

“Oh, I know that,” dismissed Albert. “But it’s Christmas! We need a proper dinner together, don’t we?”

“Oh, don’t be such a grouch,” said Stacie. “When Albie suggested we make the trip here, I thought it was a wonderful idea.”

Danny and Sean had mouths full of the seafood platter that had been brought over, but both were nodding enthusiastically.

“Stacie and I went shopping!” said Emma. “We got presents for everyone! Well, mostly for us, but also some for you-“

Mickey spotted Ash pulling what looked suspiciously like a Santa hat from one pocked and decided that things had gone quite far enough. “All right, all right!” he said, putting his hands up in capitulation. “I really don’t mind at all seeing you, but – I’m just surprised! I was the only one with no warning, and-“

Ash snorted. “Don’t be daft. You love it when you get to adapt your plan on the fly.”

“Yeah, you get to look brilliant,” said Sean.

“But anyway, where you really not expecting us?” asked Emma, still leaning against Sean.

Albert nodded. “I’d have thought it was obvious we’d turn up. Family always comes together at Christmas.”


End file.
